Meeting on changes at incinerator draws two residents

By Rob Jordan
Star Staff Writer
04-02-2004

Incinerator officials discussed proposed modifications to facility management at a sparsely attended public meeting Thursday night at the Anniston Outreach Office downtown. The meeting, which had been announced in recent newspaper and radio advertisements, attracted two area residents and no written input. If approved, the management changes will include modifying equipment inspection schedules, removing obsolete information from the operating permit and extending the amount of time certain waste can be stored before disposal. The changes are largely administrative matters to improve efficiency and worker safety, said Tim Garrett, the Army site manager at the incinerator. In some cases, inspections would be altered to reflect manufacturer recommendations and new alternatives, such as using closed-circuit cameras instead of physical observation. The dunnage incinerator – originally built to destroy secondary waste such as chemical suits and palettes – would be removed from the facility’s operating permit. Because there is less dunnage waste than had been anticipated, that incinerator is not needed. The dunnage waste can be destroyed in one of the other incinerators, Garrett said. Certain areas within the facility would be designated as permitted hazardous waste storage areas, allowing the storage of secondary waste for up to one year before it is burned. Although the waste usually will be burned within in a matter of weeks, Garrett said, the extended time period is required by federal operating standards. A man who declined to give his name said he opposes incineration and believes the facility risks dangerous mistakes by altering its established operating procedure. In the coming months, there will be more public hearings on the proposed changes, and residents will have the opportunity to submit comments for consideration by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management – the agency responsible for approving the changes.

About Rob Jordan

Rob Jordan covers criminal justice issues for The Star.